Changeable lighting device for games



.lune 23, 1942. H. F. MAuBE-R 2,287,385 1 CHANGEABLE LIGHTING DEVICE PonGAMES Y Filefront. 8, 1940 l 15 70 L27 lla'f Patented June 23, 1942 'r YCHANGEABLE LIGHTING DEVICE FOR GAMES Howard F. Maurer, North Tonawanda,Y.

Application October 8, 1940, Serial No. 360,277

(Cl. 273-118) Y 6'Claims.

This invention relates generally to amusement apparatus but moreparticularly to certain new and useful improvements in lighting effectstherefor.

One of its objects is to provide a changeable lighting unit for gameboards which is so designed as to be operatively-controlled from movableelements employed for playing the game.

Another object of the invention is to provide an impact-controlledlighting unit or assembly which is so constructed that for each impactof the movable element of the game board thereagainst an eiective anddistinctive color-change of lighting is produced.

A further object is to provide a color-change lighting unit of thischaracter, which is simple and inexpensive in construction, which ispositive and reliable in operation, and which is adaptable for readyinstallation on game boards.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of an amusement apparatus showing mychangeable lighting units associated therewith. Figure 2 is an enlargedvertical section of one of the lighting units taken substantially online 2-2, Figure 1. Figures' 3, 4 and 5 are horizontal sections taken onthe correspondingly numbered lines in Figure 2. Figure 6 is a detachedperspective view of the impactgoverned, switch control members foreffecting the sequence-changing of the light or lights included in thecircuit therewith. Figure 7 is a diagram of the electric circuit of oneof the lighting units.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

By way of example, I have shown my changeable lighting unit inconnection with an amusement apparatus having a,playing board I0 onwhich a plurality of suitably spaced illuminable bumpers or likeelements are mounted and against which balls or like objects are adaptedto be projected for governing the illumination thereof and moreparticularly for initiating a change of color of such illumination ateach successive impact of a ball against such bumpers.

Each of these bumpers or ball impact elements may consist of asubstantially cylindrical transparent member |2 rising from vthe gameboard in register with an opening I3 therein and adapted to beilluminated by an electric lamp I4 in line with such openings andmounted on a bracket |5 secured to the underside of the board.Operatively associated with the bumper and included in the circuit ofthis lamp is a normally open switch adapted to be momentarily closed byimpact whenever a ball strikes the bumper, such switch preferablyincluding a yieldable element I6 suspended from and disposed in spacedrelation about the bumper member |2, as shown in Figure 2, and adaptedto be projected against a xed switch element I1 applied to such bumperfor momentarily closing the circuit thereof to illuminate the bumper.Referring to the electrical diagram shown in Figure 7, the numeral I8indicates a source of power having one of its terminals connected by awire I9 with the movable switch element I6 while the other terminalthereof is connected by a wire 20 with the fixed switch element the lampI4 being connected in series therewith. s

Disposed in operative relation with each illuminable member I2 'and itslamp I4, is a means for eiecting an intermittent color 'change of suchilluminable `member in response to each consecutive impact closing ofthe switch' I6, By preference, this 'means consists of a color screen inthe form of a rotatable disk 2| having a plurality of color panels orplates 22 thereon, this disk being interposed for movement between theilluminable element and its companion lamp, whereby the rays of lightfrom the latter willbe transmitted through onel or 'another of the colorplatesin register therewith to correspondingly illuminate the member I2a like color. This disk.

2| is adapted to be rotated afraction of a revolution in response toeach impact closing of the switch and is fixed to one end of anoperating shaft 23 journaled inV suitable bearings applied to a bracket24 depending from the game board l0, the other end of said shaft havinga toothed wheel 25 thereon which is adapted to be actuated electricallya fraction of a revolution at each closing of the switch I6, For'thispurpose, there is included in the circuit of this switch, a solenoid 26whose coil is series-connected in such circuit and whose armature 2l isprovided with a dog or pawl 28 adapted to engage one or another of theteeth of the wheel 25 to advance it a fraction of a revolution each timethe solenoid is energized to register one or another of the color panels22 with the lamp |4. As 4shown in Figure 5, this feed pawl is slidablymounted on the armature and has a spring 29 connected thereto forconstantly urging it into the path of the toothed wheel. By thisconstruction, as a ball is projected over the game board it encountersone or another of the bumpers the companion switch I6, is closed and notonly lights the lamp I4 but energizes the solenoid 26 to actuate thecolor screen 2| and thereby produce an effective and striking change incolor of the illuminable element I2 of the companion bumper.

The numeral 30 indicates a plurality of auxiliary lamps which areoperatively associated with the game board and which are adapted to beindividually lighted, one at a time, in consecutive fashion for eachcolor change operation made in conjunction with the illuminable bumper.To this end thee lamps are connected at one terminal to the wire I9while their other terminals are connected to corresponding Wires 3|leading to companion switches 32 disposed in a row and connection to acommon wire 33 leading to the source of current supply I8. Each of theswitches 32 is normally open and includes a movable switch element 34adapted to be moved to a closed position by a companion registering cam35 applied to the shaft 23. These several cams are disposed at diferentradial points about the shaft so that at each impact closing of theswitch H5, I1, one of the cams is brought into operative engagement withits companion switch element 34 so as to close the switch 32 and lightthe lamp 3u connected thereto.

A llat spring keeper 36 engages a substantially square-shaped cam 31applied to the shaft 23' to assist the pawl 28 in turning the shaft aquarter of a revolution.

I claim as my invention:

l.. In a device of the character described, a game board over whichballs are adapted to roll, an illuminable element mounted thereon andincluding a yieldable ball-impacting member, a normally open switchincluding said member as a part thereof and movable to a momentarilyclosed positon by impact of a ball against the same for illuminatingsaid element in response to each impact, a changeablercolor unit movablydisposed in correlation with said illuminable element for varying itscolor when moved to different positions, and means operatively connectedto said color unit and included in the circuit of said switch foractuating such unit from one color display position to another.

2. In a device of the character described, a game board over which ballsare adapted to roll, an illuminable element mounted thereon, a normallyopen switch movable to a momentarily closed position by impact of a ballagainst the same for illuminating said element in response to eachimpact, an intermittently-movable color unit disposed in correlationwith said illuminable element for varying its color when moved todifferent positions, and electrically-actuated means governed by saidswitch and operatively connected to said color unit for actuating it apredetermined distance at each impact closing of the switch.

3. In a device of the character described, a game board over which ballsare adapted to roll, an illuminable element mounted thereon, a normallyopen switch movable to a momentarily closed position by impact of a ballagainst the same for illuminating said element in response to eachimpact, an intermittently rotatable member having a variable colorscreen thereon for registering relation with said illuminable elementand an actuatable part for controlling its intermittent motion, andelectrically-actuated means governed by said switch and operativelyengageable with said actuatable part for governing the intermittentrotation of said color screen member to different positions at eachimpact closing of the switch.

4. In a device of the character described, a game board over which ballsare adapted to roll, an illuminable element mounted thereon, a normallyopen switch movable to a momentarily closed position by impact of a ballagainst the same for. illuminating said element in response to eachimpact, an intermittently rotatable shaft having a color screen thereonfor operative registering relation with said illuminable element and atoothed member, and electrically-actuated means governed by said switchand including a dog actuated thereby and operatively engageable withsaid toothed member at each impact closing of the switch fortransmitting motion to said shaft to present its color screen atdifferent positions in relation to the illuminable element.

5. In a device of the character described, a playing board over whichballs are adapted to roll, an illuminable element mounted thereon, avariable color means movably associated with said element to assumediierent positions relative thereto and create different color effectsthereon, an electric circuit including a normally open, impact-governedswitch disposed in the path of and adapted for actuation by said ballsto a momentarily closed position, means operatively connected to saidvariable color means for intermittently moving it to different colordisplay positions, and means included in said circuit for actuating saidintermittently movable means in response to successive impact closingsof the switch by the balls.

6. In a game apparatus, a playing board having a plurality ofilluminable bumper members rising therefrom and over which balls areadapted to roll for impacting engagement with said members, meansassociated with each of the bumper members for eecting a color changethereof at each successive impact of a ball against the same, anelectric circuit including a normally open, ball-impact governed switchfor each bumper member adapted to be momentarily closed upon a ballencountering such member. and means in said circuit and operativelyconnected to said color change means for actuating the same to changethe color of the bumper member at each consecutive closing of saidswitch by one or another of the balls.

HOWARD F. MAURER.

